"There are four Devil Fruits, a hundred million Berries, and more than ten other treasures."
Moria presented the haul carefully, handing over a Devil Fruit encyclopedia.
It was a sizable loot, but the Berries weren't much—most of it had probably been spent back at Sabaody Archipelago. As for the so-called "treasures," they were just odd trinkets with no real value.
The only items worth noting were the four Devil Fruits.
Caelan took the encyclopedia and examined them one by one.
"Paramecia-type Bed-Bed Fruit? What kind of garbage is this?!"
It could turn people into various types of beds. Completely useless, though it did match the twisted preferences of the Celestial Dragons.
"Cat-Cat Fruit, Mythical Zoan, Model: Nekomata. Bird-Bird Fruit, Mythical Zoan, Model: Garuda. Logia-type Cloud-Cloud Fruit."
Caelan nodded, clearly pleased.
Compared to the joke that was the Bed-Bed Fruit, these three were genuine rarities.
The Nekomata and Garuda were top-tier Mythical Zoan-type Fruits, on par with what Kaido had stockpiled.
And the Cloud-Cloud Fruit? A weather-controlling Logia. Creating thunderclouds and manipulating weather patterns would be trivial with that power.
Honestly, those two Celestial Dragons had arrived just in time, as if they'd known Caelan needed more firepower and decided to personally deliver it.
"The Cloud-Cloud Fruit is for Nami. The Nekomata Fruit goes to Tashigi. The Garuda Fruit is Vivi's. Eat them. Now."
Caelan shoved the fruits into their hands, not leaving room for refusal.
"No way! These are way too valuable!"
Nami and the others hesitated.
Devil Fruits were treasures of the sea. Even the most ordinary ones started at 100 million Berries. These three? Easily worth over a billion each.
"There's no such thing as 'too valuable' between us. If eating them helps me, then that's all that matters."
Caelan frowned. His tone was resolute.
He still had 4.8 billion Berries on the Heroic Spirit Synchronization System—money wasn't an issue.
More importantly, a major battle was coming. These Devil Fruits could shift the balance.
It was better to use them now, turning them into actual strength.
"Alright!"
Vivi, Nami, and Tashigi exchanged glances and nodded firmly.
By eating the Devil Fruits, they'd be able to support Caelan in battle.
Later on, the value of those Fruits would be repaid many times over.
"Ugh!"
The three women each took a bite, then grimaced in pain at the awful taste.
But they forced it down, determined not to waste it.
Moments later, changes began to take place.
Tashigi transformed into a graceful black cat with two tails, her body shrouded in blue flames.
Vivi turned into a majestic golden roc, blazing with radiant light.
Nami was enveloped in clouds and mist, her body constantly shifting like vapor.
"So magical… so powerful!"
Moria felt a rare sense of security.
Watching Caelan casually hand out top-tier Devil Fruits made him feel safer than ever.
He even felt a strange urge to become a woman, just to boost his survival chances.
Soon, Nami, Vivi, and Tashigi returned to their original forms, having already gained a basic level of control over their new abilities.
"How do you feel?" Caelan asked with a grin.
With these three Devil Fruits, they would soon reach vice admiral-level combat strength.
With proper training, there was even a chance they could break into the admiral class.
"I feel amazing! The Cloud-Cloud Fruit suits me perfectly. We'll never have to worry about storms again!"
"I think... once I get the hang of it, I can even make our ship fly!"
Nami hugged Caelan tightly, her face brimming with excitement.
For a navigator, a weather-controlling Logia was a dream come true.
"I feel like my body is ten times stronger. This is a huge boost to my swordsmanship!"
Tashigi was equally excited.
She'd always lacked physical strength, but the Nekomata Fruit had changed that. Her coordination and power had soared. She finally saw a path to becoming a true master swordsman.
"Me too! I've never felt so powerful!"
"Judging by the time, the pursuers should be arriving soon. You all leave first," Caelan said, his expression serious.
"I don't want to leave. I want to stay and help you!"
Vivi immediately protested.
The other women followed suit, unwilling to part from him.
"Remember Aokiji? That one battle wiped out an entire island. This one's going to be even bigger. You staying here won't help. It'll only slow me down."
"Return to Alabasta. I'll meet you there."
Caelan gazed into the distance, as if he could already sense Akainu's approach.
The hawkish Akainu would definitely show up. After all, with the Celestial Dragons involved, he'd need to make a display of strength to earn the Five Elders' trust.
While he'd disobeyed them after becoming Fleet Admiral, Akainu had been very obedient back when he was an Admiral.
This battle would likely bring at least three admiral-level opponents: Kizaru, Garp, and Akainu.
Caelan wasn't afraid. But Nami and the others weren't ready.
"Alright. We'll go."
The women were reluctant, but they understood.
Staying would only be a distraction.
"You have to come back safely!"
Nami looked Caelan in the eyes, her tone serious.
"Don't worry. We'll meet again in Alabasta."
Caelan smiled and gently patted her head.
Soon, he watched as Nami and the others sailed away in a small boat. The Wind Rider and Moria's ship stayed behind.
"Let's go. Find a spot."
Caelan tossed the two Celestial Dragons onto the Wind Rider and spoke to Moria calmly.
He didn't expect Moria to fight Akainu. He just needed someone to come back and pick him up.
Moria's ship had someone who'd eaten the Door-Door Fruit. That alone was enough to guarantee a safe escape.
"Yes, Caelan-sama."
Moria ordered the zombie crew to sail both the Wind Rider and his own ship toward a nearby uninhabited island.
Back at the original site, the Celestial Dragons' ship was soaked in blood. Even the World Government flag was stained red.
(To be continued.)
***
For every 200 PS = 1 extra chapter. Support me on P/treon to read 30+ advanced chapters: p-atreon.c-om/Blownleaves
(Just remove the hyphen to access normally.)